The Tight Spots of a Christian, Part 1

Greetings, friends and new listeners.

Welcome to this program of the R.G. Hardy Ministries. I'm Sharon Notts thanking you for being with us today because we know faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Today's message by my father, Brother Hardy, is certain to uplift you, especially if you're in a tight place. In fact, that's the title of today's message, The Tight Spots of a Christian. So if you are in need of encouragement, you are in tune with the right station to hear a timely word, The Tight Spots of a Christian. You know the big difference between a child of God and a sinner, one big difference, one big difference I found between the child of God and someone that doesn't know Jesus, let me put it that way. You know the Bible said that the ring falls on the good or the just and the unjust. How many say amen?

In trials and tests, hard places, pressings way come to the just and unjust. How many know that? You know, a lot of people, they have the wrong, they have a misconception. They have the wrong idea. They believe that when they get saved that they're never going to have a test anymore. There's never going to be a hard spot. There's not going to be burdens.

There's not going to be battles. And consequently, they're not prepared. A lot of people think that they're going to fly to heaven on a magic carpet.

I tell you what, I've been serving the Lord about 20 years and I read that Bible all from cover to cover and a lot's in between. I ain't never found no magic carpet yet. I said, I haven't found that magic carpet. Everybody's got that magic carpet. You got it? Quit hiding that thing.

Move over and let me sit down on it. How many say amen? Don't misunderstand me. The Lord's going to work it all out. But you see, a lot of people think that when I get saved, I'm never going to be confronted with a bad situation anymore. There's not going to be any hard places anymore. There's not going to be any tight spots anymore.

How many thought there'd never be a tight spot? Well, that's contrary to the Bible. You know what the Bible said? Many.

M-A-N-Y. That means a whole lot. Does the word many mean a whole lot?

How many believe that? Many are the afflictions. Now remember I said the word affliction wasn't sickness and disease. A lot of people think when they think of the word affliction, they think, well, a disease, a sickness. But that wasn't the Hebrew and the Greek meaning of the word affliction. Anything that was a hard spot was called an affliction. The Bible said many are the afflictions of the righteous.

How many say amen? The Greek word translated affliction means a tight spot. It means, really, a narrow, confining place. You're in a tight spot.

It just about can make it. It's rough, and it's hard. It's a tight spot. You're just squeezing through. Let me bring it up to the 20th century. Somebody said, how'd you get out of that?

Fixed. I made it by the skin of my teeth. Well, that's what the word affliction means by the skin of your teeth. I just made it by the skin of my teeth. Well, the Bible said you're going to get in many a places as a Christian that you're just going to make it by the skin of your teeth. I don't care. Just so I make it.

That's all that I'm interested in. I just got by by the skin of my teeth. Many. You're going to find yourself, if you follow the Lord, he tarrys. Of course, maybe some of you will never learn this scripture because the Lord ain't going to be long coming. Come on, Jesus.

Right now, sorry, it's me. Don't worry. You'll meet your boy and wife in the air.

Don't go. When I used to be out on the field in hundreds or maybe thousands of miles away from Baltimore, and I said, I'd say, I wouldn't care if Jesus come right now. I said, what about your wife and your family? I said, if they're living right, I won't meet them in the air.

What do you don't worry about it? I mean, I'm up there and we'll all go to heaven. But if you follow on the novel, you're going to get a lot of predicament that if you get out of there, it's going to be by the skin of your teeth. Many are the tight spots of the righteous. You see, it rains on the good and the bad, and tight spots come to the good and the bad. And the only difference, see, what I'm telling you, between the just and the unjust is that when the tight spot comes, they don't have Jesus.

That's what it is. I got Jesus. How many say a man, that's the difference between a sinner and a saint.

We all going to go through tight spots, but I got somebody to help me. That's the big difference between being saved and unsaved. We all try to make a way in life. How many say a man calamities come to all our loved ones? Famines might come.

Maybe a war will come and our loved ones there. Sinner unsaved. But if you're a saint, honey, God's going to make a way where there she must be no way.

He's going to get you out. Come on, Jesus. Come on, Lord.

The only difference between a saint and a sinner, when they get in a tight spot, they can't throw their head back and holler, come on, Jesus. Honey, when I was in the world and didn't know Jesus, I got in tight spots. I called on mama.

I got in spots mama couldn't help. Wasn't no use calling on daddy. I knew he wasn't going to help. Wasn't no use calling my father when I got my tight spot with Mr. John Law. My father say you made your bed, now lay in it. I was in a tight spot. I didn't want to hear that stuff.

That bed was hard. How many say a man? I began to call on people. I sit there. I thought about everybody. Who in the world can I...

I don't care who I... If I knew the devil, if I don't really believe there was a devil and I knew him and I called on him, I was in such a bad spot. I used to call mom and mom would drop everything and try to get me out of that tight spot. But honey, I got in spots mama couldn't get me out of. You know, in the beginning, mom used to be able to get me out of little spots.

How many say amen? But as I got older, my spots got harder and tougher and mom couldn't do it. I was in trouble. I was in a tight spot. I was looking for somebody to help me.

Wasn't nobody to help me. That's what the Bible and the psalmist said. Said they that hated David saw and gnashed on him. Said they got in trouble.

They looked for help. Said they even called to the Lord and the Lord wouldn't even help them. That's the difference between the sinner and the saint. Because if the sinner gets in a tight spot and says hey God get me out.

God said no you gotta get saved first. I don't have to worry when I get in a tight spot God you gotta get me out. You got to get me out. Say how?

How do you know? Well the Bible told me to pay my vow to the most high God. I know he's got to get me out. I don't pay my vow. Have you ever heard that scripture? Said pay thy vow to the most high God and do what? He said then in a time of trouble call on me and I will deliver you. I will.

Say keep your vows to God and when you get in a tight spot just call on him. Hey Jesus I know you. I seen you do a miracle.

You gonna do some more for me. How many say amen? I'm glad I got Jesus. I'm glad I'm saved. I said I'm glad I'm a child of God. My God I wouldn't want to be the fixer I'm in and be a sinner. My Lord help me Jesus. My Lord I said I wouldn't want to be living in this society.

I wouldn't want to be living in Baltimore city. Of all the troubles there is and be a sinner. No sir honey I believe I'd barricade myself in a room and I wouldn't go out.

I'd be scared to death. How many say amen? I'm glad I'm saved. You know what?

You know something? I'd rather be the most tried and tested tight spot Christian that ever lived than the freest sinner right here in the Baltimore. I'd rather be in all the tight spots that you can get in and be a Christian than be free and be a sinner because I know that if I'm in a tight spot God's got to get me out. I don't have to do nothing he's got to get me out.

He's got to. Somebody said why he's got to get you out? Because number one I'm righteous. I'm his child and number two his word said he'd get me out and God's got to do it because he said it. I will go up to God and say God I'm your child to budge on me. Put the blood on me right now.

How many say amen? I'm your child you'll budge on me. You got to move for me. You got to get me out of this tight spot. You got to move. I said bless God tonight God you've got to move.

Well honey if you had everything hey do you want a silver platter? How do you know God can do all those things? I won't have no problem of faith when old death comes. I said I don't believe I won't have any trouble when it comes time to meet Mr. Death. I ain't gonna be afraid of Mr. Death. I ain't gonna be afraid.

I'm gonna say no I'm gonna say hey death where's your state? You know what it's going to take to be raptured. Who knows what it's going to take to be raptured. It's going to take faith. How many say amen? And all these little tests it's just purifying our faith so that when the big challenge of faith comes we just won't have to worry. How many say amen when the devil comes in tries to break your faith at the old death bed showing you death all around you maybe I don't know maybe America might be invaded and they might try to make you deny Jesus and when he's got that gun there and that demon looking at you and death looking at you how many say amen? Oh God wants to bring it to the place that you can say for me the name is Christ but the die is gave pull that old trigger.

You know we just might be we might just be brought to that before it's over. You know the early apostolic church the church of the apostles had to have that kind of faith as you read the story of the apostles you find that every one of them won out as a martyr. As I began to read the autobiography of Paul say where did you read it you know he wrote it himself how many say amen? You know that their greek word auto means self the story of my own life by me this is the story of my life by me Paul the apostle he wrote it himself how many say amen when did he write it when he said Timothy fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life eternal life he said Timothy I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ preached the gospel of the instant in season and out of season and reprove and rebuke and exhort with all our suffering and doctrine he said for I'm about to be offered up and the time of my departures is at hand he said this is my autobiography I fought a good fight I believe in fight now I don't believe in fight the defeated fight I believe in fight the good fight and the good fight is fight the good fight of faith have faith and punch the devil heaven and said believe God and lift up the blood stained dada somebody said fight I'm fighting now honey you don't know how I'm fighting now I'm fighting for my life amen I believe in God and I'm punching the devil I believe in God punching the devil that all you're fighting yeah man I don't know how all my boys is gonna stay out but I'm fighting the good fight of that I'm gonna preach the good news hey good news are you in the tight spot the Lord's on the way hold on hold on you know God in every circumstance and situation that will get in has promised to make us the victors in fact as we study the word and we find out the word we find out that wherever we are if we're an obedient child of God God lets you there I will let that sink in I said if you are an obedient child of God wherever you are at whatever circumstance you're in God led you there so don't let the devil tell you God don't know anything about you he led you there he ordered you there let me change it and really get biblical if you have been obeying the Lord wherever you're at whatever your circumstance God ordered you there the steps of a righteous that's somebody that's obeying God that's someone that's not disobedient that's somebody that's not living in sin that's somebody that's not living in rebellion that's somebody that's not living in rebellion that's somebody that hasn't broken any law to be guilty they are righteous the steps of a righteous man or what oh God ordered you just wherever you are God ordered you to get right in that tight spot God said get in that tight spot get in that tight spot he said Hardy you've been obeying me you've been doing what I told you preaching my word try to lift up Jesus not compromising cry it aloud sparing not lifting up holiness crying out against sin said get in that tight spot I said all right Lord because I'm gonna get you out of it hey did you ever read in the Psalms where God promised the Psalmist said I will lead you into a large place what do you think he was talking about what's a large place mean what do you mean in the large someone take you out of that tight spot you know what happens when you're righteous and you obey the Lord the Lord leads you into that tight spot you know what happens the devil comes running bless God you in a tight spot look at you you've obeyed the Lord you've been righteous trying to get yourself righteous now didn't mean to tell me the Lord loves you led you into this tight spot I said this is just a door and here you are obey God led you in a tight spot what kind of God is that why don't you quit serving him why don't you give up I ain't about to give up not in that place if I'm gonna give up I ain't gonna give up no tight spot are you crazy you mean tell me I'm gonna get in a tight spot don't see no way I'm gonna quit God there I need him then if I'm gonna quit him I'm gonna wait till he gets me in a large place I ain't gonna quit him in a tight spot see what I'm talking about hey brother you ought to be glad you didn't quit God Wednesday ain't you glad you stood up there and helped me preach and shout and pray for the sick and take them through the line aren't you glad somebody said why I'm glad he didn't quit God Wednesday why because somebody stuck a gun in him when was it Thursday or today Wednesday after the church oh before I'm glad you didn't quit him Sunday stuck a gun on him took his money took his watch how many say amen he was in a tight spot didn't have his watch couldn't tell what time it was it's time to praise the Lord and why should he praise God that man could have pulled that trigger that's why what did the Lord do he got he was in a tight spot didn't have your watch so you knew what time it was didn't have his money but the brothers been given to the Lord he's been sacrificing God saw it and the devil said bless God I'm gonna rob him I'm gonna take his watch and his money and you know what God saw him given and you know what God did made them please catch them boys and take his watch back and his money back how many say man hey that's God I wouldn't I wouldn't be a shitter now for nothing I'd stay in the house we heard a story just like this just a little while ago about somebody that a friend hollered to him they stopped the car and got in the back of the car they wasn't so fortunate because when that man throw the gun on him he shot him right in the heart boom because he didn't know Jesus how many that was the difference the Lord was in the car with you brother he let that gun get locked y'all you let that finger trigger finger get paralyzed you know that you know that the Lord can paralyze them triggers for when they want to kill you they don't know what you came the Lord is one of them do it I imagine them lines when they had Daniel that Dan smelt this is a sweetest piece of meat I smell oh god you know I've been getting some stinking dirty devils so this is some of that righteous holding the stuff man this is a good clean meal said I like to eat him Dan said you'd like to eat him but shut up boy he got none give you locks all just you smell but you can't eat hey you go and go home if you want to it's all right I'm preaching to Hardy anyhow I'm preaching to myself I ain't about to quit God God I'm like I'm like Jacob I've ever read a story about Jacob Oh Jacob he was a we call him a consman now if he was living now he'd have him one of them fancy hats he'd have them big dark messes on I mean he'd be super fly he'd be down there flim-flaming over them cats that's what he did the Bible said he was a supplant her huh he got it by being a consman even got his mother in audit she worked with him didn't she mother got innocent said Jacob said I named you right so planner consmen huh by trickery flim-flam you gonna get the blessing I'll tell you what I don't blame Jacob the blessing of God so good I'd even use flim-flam the kid what are you talking about hey I said the blessings of the Lord so good I'd even use consmen tactics to get it I say Lord bless me I don't care what it takes just brush me he's all ran into his father and his father said your brother's got your blessing said I don't care bless me I don't care give me some kind of a blessing how many say a man honey I want the blessing of God I don't care what it takes to get tight spots cramped spots bruised ankles kick shims punch in the nose give me the blessing quit God you kid I believe I'm a little bit like Jacob Oh Jacob used anything he could to get out of a tight spot didn't you do it tricked his brother starving to death and stole his birthright huh with his mother Condi's father to think he was somebody else but sheepskin goatskin on put his brother's clothes on smelt like his brother father was blind said I can't see you but I'm gonna smell you said you talk like Jacob said but you feel like he saw and his father blessed him and give him everything bless God I put goatskins on to to get everything with you these folk don't believe that and all of a sudden he heard that he saw was going to kill him oh he was in a tight spot he knew his brother wasn't no fool boy he go fool ran his brother was gonna turn him every way but loose he knew his brother was a wild man these brothers said I won't kill him now while we're mourning but as soon as we get our father in the sub poker and get all the mourners out I'm gonna kill him I'm gonna say amen and I mean Jacob knew he was in a tight spot do you know what he did he left that blessing he left all that things that that his father gave him and he run I said he run he left everything he was in a tight spot that man was gonna kill him that man wasn't gonna do no talking he said he couldn't tell that man I'm gonna give you the blessing the man someone kill you and have it anyhow how many say man he ran didn't he do it and on his running in his tight spot he ran into God that's a good one to run into how many say him in he didn't have anything that's when God finds us I mean if God wasn't going to help us why does he wait till we ain't got nothing when everybody's against us how many same and he's all going to kill us and the only thing Jacob had his soul Tom some and total of his belongings was a stone for his head huh and while he had his head on that stone God found them amen what an inspiring word of encouragement by God's servant brother Hardy the tight spots of a Christian the scripture says many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all now the term afflictions does not refer to a sickness but rather to a narrow confining place as though you are being squeezed or as Apostle Paul described being pressed in the spirit and even pressed out of measure in other words a tight spot many are the tight spots of a Christian but God has promised to deliver us out of every one 1st Corinthians 10 4 states there is no temptation taking you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted above that which you were able but with the temptation will also make a way to escape that you may be able to endure child of God your tight spot will not destroy you because God is faithful to bring you out and James reminded us that we have the examples of the Old Testament Saints who also suffered great afflictions and they did so with patience and Peter stated that the same afflictions the very same tight spots are accomplished in our brethren around the world we believe this message is one you might need to hear again or you may know someone who is in a tight spot that you want to share it with it can be ordered on CD for a love gift of $10 or more for the radio ministry request offer 127 and mail to Archie Hardy ministries p.o. box 1744 Baltimore Maryland 2 1 2 0 3 or go online to Archie Hardy dot o RG friends even if you do not wish to order we want to hear from you and we need your financial support to continue on this station but to receive the tight spots of a Christian request offer 127 mailed to p.o. box 1744 Baltimore Maryland 2 1 2 0 3 till next time this is Sharon not saying Maranatha